Gun rack



Feb. 10,` 1937. H W, JENNINGS 2,070,904

GUN RACK Filed July 6, 1936 Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICEY 1 Claim.

This invention relates to racks in which groups of rifles, or arms of a like nature, may be irremovably stored.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rack, of the character described, which is constructed of light weight material, yet which is sufficiently rugged to resist any attempts to forcibly release the arms stored therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for simultaneously securing, or releasing, arms in, or from, such a rack.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction for the sockets in which the respective ends of the rifle, or other arm to be stored in the rack, are secured.

The invention possesses other objects and features of value, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the specification hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention herein disclosed is not to be limited to the particular species thereof shown and described, as various other embodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the gun storage rack of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, of a portion of the rack, showing the construction of the sockets for enclosing the gun butts.

Figure 4 is a perspective View, o-f an upper portion of the rack, showing the construction of the sockets for enclosing the gun muzzles.

In detail, the rack is made up of standard and specially formed structural steel bars and comprises a pair of spaced rear standards 5, which may be fastened, by angle clips 6 secured to the respective ends thereof, to the ceiling and floor of a room. Disposed in front of, and spaced from, the rear standards 5 is a pair of front legs 1, secured to the rear standards by means of tie plates 8 and provided, at their lower ends, with clips 9 by means of which the legs may be secured to the floor of the room. Intermediate front and rear legs Ill are provided secured together by means of tie plates II and provided at their lower ends with floor attachment clips I2. The intermediate legs are supported by crossed bracing bars I3 which are secured, respectively, at the point of intersection thereof, to the intermediate legs and at their ends to the rear standards 5 and the front legs 1. It will of course be understood that as many of the legs I0 as desired may be provided, this number depending on the length of the space between the standards 5.

Secured to the upper ends of the members 1 and IE), and the upper edge of each upper tie plate 8, is a shelf I4 having a portion thereof, along its rear edge, turned upwardly to provide a flange I5, which is secured to each standard 5, and a portion thereof, along its front edge, turned downwardly to provide a flange I6 which is secured to the iront face of the front legs 1 and I0. Disposed in spaced relation on the shelf I4 is a plurality of U-shaped sheet metal spacers I1 each provided with oppositely directed flanges i8 which are secured, preferably by welding, to the shelf flange I5, and at each end of the group of spacers is provided an angle clip I9 which is welded to the shelf I4 and the flange I5. It will be seen that each spacer I1 provides between it and an adjoining spacer, a socket open at its forward end and adapted to receive the end of the gun stock shown by the dotted lines 2| of Figure 3.

Means is provided for locking, against removal through the open end of each socket 20, the guns placed in the sockets. Pivotally secured to the front face of the flange I6, by hinges 22, is an angle bar 23, which may be moved from. the position shown in the left-hand portion of Figure 3 wherein the front of each socket 20 is open, thereby permitting the gun stocks 2l to be moved forwardly out of the sockets, to the position in which it is shown in the right-hand portion of Figure 3, wherein one ange of.the angle bar lies across and closes the front of each socket 20 to prevent the displacement of the gun stocks from the sockets. To maintain the angle bar in this latter position, wherein the sockets are closed, the upright flange of the 4former is provided with one y or more apertures 24 through which passes a lug 25, which is suitably secured to the front of one of the spacers I1, or to any other convenient portion of the rack frame, and provided with an aperture 25 in which the U-shaped shackle of a padlock may be secured.

Means is provided for preventing upward movement of the gun stocks 2I locked in the sockets 20. Secured, at its opposite ends, to the front face of each of the standards 5, is an angle bar 21 to which is welded, or otherwise secured in vertical alinement with each socket 20, a plurality of U-shaped plates 28 which provide pockets 29, which receive the end of the gun barrel, shown by the dotted lines 3U of Figure 4. The upper end of each pocket is closed by the overlying flange of the angle bar 2l s'o as to preclude upward movement of the gun barrel relative to the pocket. This will, of course, prevent the gun stock 2l from being lifted vertically out of its socket 2G.

In conclusion, the gun storage rack just described, although constructed of thin gage metal members, is possessed of a high degree of strength and rigidity which enables it to withstand attempts to forcibly remove the arms stored therein; reduces the amount of extra Weight which floorsof armories and like places Where arms are stored were reqiL'red to support due to the heavy construction of such racks in general use; and provides, in the locking bar 23, a simple device for simultaneously and quickly opening or closing all of the sockets in which the arms are locked,

I claim:

A gun storage rack comprising pairs of spaced, vertically disposed, frame members, a bar secured at its ends to a pair of said frame members adjacent the upper ends thereof, a plurality of members secured to a vertical surface of said bar to provide along said bar a roW of spaced, axially vertical, sockets into which the end of the barrels of a plurality of guns may be placed, a flange extending from an edge of said bar and overlying the upper end of each of said sockets, a horizontal shelf secured at its respective ends to said frame members in spaced relation to said bar, said shelf having a ilange rising from one longitudinal edge thereof, a plurality of spaced elements secured to said shelf and to said ange thereof to provide on said shelf a row of recesses having an open top and end and vertically alined with the sockets on said bar, said recesses each being adapted to receive the stock of a gun, a bar hingedly secured to the longitudinal edge of said shelf opposite said shelf flange, said bar being movable into a position to close the open end of each of said recesses to enclose the stocks of said guns therein, and means for securing said bar in said position.

HAROLD W. JENNINGS. 

